Cisplatin, vinblastine, and mitoguazone chemotherapy for epidermoid and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

Thirty-six patients with adenocarcinoma or epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus were entered into a phase II trial evaluating the combination of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) day 2, vinblastine 1.6 mg/m2 IV days 1 to 4, and mitoguazone (MGBG) 500 mg/m2 IV days 1 and 8. Twenty-nine patients (group A) were newly diagnosed with local-regional disease only and were candidates for transhiatal esophagectomy (THE). These patients received two courses of chemotherapy at 3-week intervals prior to surgery. Response was assessed by measuring changes in the primary tumor length and depth on serial biphasic contrast esophagrams and comparing this result with tumor measurements obtained from the surgical specimen. Complete (CR) and partial responders (PR) received three additional postoperative cycles. Seven patients had recurrent or metastatic disease (group B) and were treated every 4 weeks until disease progression. Of 34 patients evaluable for response, there was one pathologically confirmed CR and 15 PRs...